Mistletoe
ToxicThe ASPCA lists American mistletoe as toxic to dogs. Its toxalbumins and lectins cause vomiting and diarrhea, and larger ingestions can drop blood pressure and heart rate and cause labored breathing.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Lethargy
- Low blood pressure
- Slow heartbeat
- Difficulty breathing
- Poor coordination or balance
- Pale gums or mucous membranes
- Collapse
More about this food
American mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. The toxic principles are toxalbumins and lectins — phoratoxin and viscumin among them — and the listed signs are vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure (rare), difficulty breathing, and a slow heart rate. Pet Poison Helpline describes the same pattern: ingestion of the plant and berries usually causes GI upset, while large ingestions can produce low blood pressure with a stumbling gait.
The exposure is seasonal and predictable. A sprig gets hung in a doorway in December, the white berries dry out and drop, and they land on the floor at exactly the height of a curious dog. Holiday centerpieces and swags get set on coffee tables. Guests come in, doors stay open, and nobody is watching the dog for the two minutes it takes. Real mistletoe and plastic mistletoe look identical from across a room, so if you cannot say which one your dog got into, treat it as the real thing until you can check.
Vomiting and diarrhea usually come first. The signs that change the urgency are what follows: pale gums, collapse or profound weakness, a wobbly drunken gait, a heart rate that has slowed, or labored breathing. Those point to a cardiovascular effect rather than a stomachache and mean you go now, not in the morning.
Write down what was eaten — leaves, stems, berries, and roughly how many — plus the time, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435; a consultation fee applies and they will give your vet a case number. Bring the remaining sprig with you. Do not induce vomiting at home with salt or hydrogen peroxide. Whether to decontaminate, give activated charcoal, and monitor blood pressure and heart rate on fluids is a veterinary decision.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog ate two or three mistletoe berries off the floor.
- Note the number and the time and call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435. Most dogs get vomiting and diarrhea, but pale gums, weakness, a wobbly gait, or labored breathing means go to an emergency clinic immediately. Move the remaining sprig out of reach first.
- Is the plastic mistletoe from the craft store safer?
- It has no plant toxins, but it is still a foreign body. Wired stems and small hard berries can lodge in the gut. If your dog swallowed some, report the size and number to your vet, and treat unproductive retching, belly pain, or absent stool as an emergency.
- How is mistletoe different from poinsettia, which I heard is overrated as a danger?
- They are not the same risk. Mistletoe is on the ASPCA toxic list with toxalbumins and lectins, and the ASPCA specifically notes low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and difficulty breathing. Do not carry over anything you have read about poinsettia to this plant.